Temperature is important to black metal. If you got a map of Australia and drew a line directly north to south, your town's placement on that line would determine how necro it is. A necro-spectrum, if you will. If you're from Cairns, you're a bit buggered. Brisbane... ehh with talent you can get away with it, as bands like Astriaal, Spire, Moon and Portal have demonstrated. Sydney's neither here nor there and Melbourne is getting better, but only during winter. Its nothing to do with available talent or resources, it's simply a scientifically proven fact that the further south you go, the colder it is and the more ravishing your grimness becomes. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that Tasmania, being our most southern geographic point, is the closest thing Australia has to a natural habitat for black metal. It is cold, psychologically isolated, grandiose peaks abound and best of all, it has cannibals. In other words - Tasmania is fucking grim. So it's probably no surprise that one of our better black metal bands should be from there. Ruins have been around for just north of a decade and Place of No Pity is their fourth full length. If you're unfamiliar with them thus far, this album will demonstrate that they're a band worth getting to know. And 'getting to know' is the key phrase here. First spin of Place of No Pity will demonstrate that, like their previous efforts, it won't be no daiquiri-fuelled fling in a back alley. As Dr Phil says, it requires time and active listening to build a meaningful relationship.